Open AccessPolarization independent Fabry-Pérot filter based on polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystals with fast response time
Author(s) -
Yanhan Chen,
Chun-Ta Wang,
Chin-Ping Yu,
TsungHsien Lin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.19.025441
Subject(s) - optics , materials science , birefringence , polarization (electrochemistry) , refractive index , liquid crystal , liquid crystal tunable filter , ray , wavelength , optical filter , free spectral range , fabry–pérot interferometer , response time , electric field , millisecond , optoelectronics , physics , chemistry , quantum mechanics , computer graphics (images) , astronomy , computer science
This work demonstrates a polarization-independent electrically tunable Fabry-Pérot (FP) filter that is based on polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystals (PSBPLCs). An external vertical electric field can be applied to modulate the effective refractive index of the PSBPLCs along the optical axis. Therefore, the wavelength-tuning property of the FP filter is completely independent of the polarization state of the incident light. The change in the birefringence in PSBPLCs is governed by Kerr effect-induced isotropic-to-anisotropic transition, and so the PSBPLCs based FP filter has a short response time. The measured tunability and free spectral range of the FP filter are 0.092 nm/ V and 16nm in the visible region, and 0.12nm/ V and 97nm in the NIR region, respectively, and the response time is in sub-millisecond range. The fast-responding polarization-independent electrically tunable FP filter has substantial potential for practical applications.